


Labor

by souuuss



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: F/M, Mentioned Lee Taeyong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 20:25:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12943143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/souuuss/pseuds/souuuss
Summary: Jaehyun skips practice, because his best friend is in the middle of giving birth.





	Labor

**Author's Note:**

> Following this prompt: Theme : surreal relationship; MC : irrational dancer; Major event : birth.  
> I did it my own way, that explains the silly parts lol  
> I honestly feel like it's a bit unrealistic but I still had fun writing this ^-^  
> Enjoy ;)
> 
> EDIT: PLEASE don't read this lolol I CAN'T stand rereading it what the HELL was I thinking honestly

Upon hearing the news on the phone, Jung Jaehyun stopped what he was doing and rushed out of the practice room while shouting at the caller. The man at the other end told him to stay where he was, to which Jaehyun replied with a clear "Don’t tell me what to do and just fucking let me come!" before hanging up.

 

He ran down the corridor and passed the other members who were just coming back from their break. Jaehyun vaguely heard Taeyong asking him what the matter was, but he didn’t bother to respond. He chose to hurtle down the stairs – taking the elevator would’ve been a waste of time – and exited the SM building, ignoring the surprised stares of the staff as he hurried down the street. He luckily saw a taxi pass by and called the driver.

 

He gave him the address of the hospital between panty breaths and finally settled down in his seat, recovering from his unplanned race.

 

"Excuse me, aren’t you, like, a celebrity or something? Y’know, since you came out of SM… plus your face looks familiar…" the driver spoke up.

 

"Yes, I’m an idol," Jaehyun replied briefly. "Anyway, are we getting there soon?"

 

"In like two minutes."

 

After spending those two minutes answering the other man’s relentless questions about his idol life, which he couldn’t care less about at the moment, and paying him, he sped up again towards the hospital. He asked for the room at the reception and resumed his running, startling the personnel circulating in the building.

 

Jaehyun finally found the room and hastily opened the door, only to see his best friend, legs spread wide, screaming in pain. The man who’d called him minutes ago turned around, not even surprised, just visibly stressed out as he held his girlfriend’s hand.

 

"You are…?" a woman, obviously the midwife, asked after a few seconds of silence.

 

Jaehyun turned his head in her direction and gave her a quick bow.

 

"I’m her best friend. Jung Jaehyun."

 

"Jung Jaehyun? That’s funny, you have the same name as that star my sister’s always blabbering about – anyway, I mean, that might not be the best moment to talk about that. I have to get that baby out first! Are you going to stay during the whole labor?"

 

"Uh…" Jaehyun stared at his friend lying down on the delivery table in a position he wasn’t quite used to. "I guess?" he responded, half confirming – half asking.

 

"I hope you’re not too sensitive, then," the young woman warned before focusing on the woman giving birth again.

 

The young man sat next to the other guy, who looked at him in a desperate attempt to ask for help. Indeed, he had to be suffering: his right hand was constricted in his girlfriend’s and becoming blueish. Jaehyun shrugged, unable to do anything about it. He wouldn’t even take the risk to talk to her, let alone try to remove the man’s hand from her torturous grip.

 

"How long has it been?" the blond guy asked quietly.

 

"She’s been trying to squeeze her out for twenty minutes now."

 

"And you can still hear? I’ve been here for like two minutes but her screams are already piercing my eardrums," Jaehyun commented.

 

"Shut… the… fuck up, Jae!" the suffering woman huffed – or rather shouted.

 

"Oops. Sorry Haeju," he said, dishonestly apologetic.

 

He remained silent for the next five minutes, almost fascinated by what was going on. The midwife was encouraging Haeju while helping the baby get out, and the obstetrician — who apparently just came back from the bathroom — was observing the whole process.

 

After another short moment, Jaehyun had enough of sitting down waiting for the newborn and felt too curious as to how it worked. So, he stood up, and slowly approached the middle of the room. He gradually felt regret filling his body as the main focus of attention revealed itself to his eyes.

 

There was the top of a head, covered in blood and other fluids and a few sticky strands of hair, poking out of what looked like a vision of horror to him.

 

"Oh, fuck. Holy shit, that’s-that’s gross," he gasped.

 

"Are you alright? You shouldn’t have done that," the midwife said, concerned about his frozen face.

 

"Yeah," he replied weakly. "It’s not my first time, I’ve seen it in science books at school – oh shit, I need to puke," he blurted out when the baby’s head slid out a bit more.

 

The midwife watched him in amusement as he rushed out of the room and ran for his life towards the nearest restroom. He stopped in front of the mirror, trying to ease his wobbling stomach. He looked up and saw his livid face covered in sweat. He tried to splash some water on his face, but the image of his best friend’s dilated genitals emerged in his mind and he had to open the stall and kneel in front of the toilet seat to regurgitate the sandwich he’d eaten for lunch.

 

He got out a few minutes later, more or less sure that his stomach wouldn’t give up on him again. He decided to go out for fresh air and took a quick stroll in the chilly inner courtyard. He considered returning to SM and just forgetting what he had seen and even never talking to his best friend again, but he reasoned with himself — it wasn’t something to get traumatized over, right? It was just a baby’s head being extracted from Haeju, and he should’ve just stayed in his seat ; even her own boyfriend had not dared to look at that, so it was his fault. He would just need some holy water to clean his soiled eyes.

 

He looked up and saw the young midwife walking down a corridor with what seemed to be a trolley with a baby inside. He took that as a signal that he could go back without having to endure his friend’s screams.

 

But sometimes, knowing nothing about how labor works can bring some unpleasant surprises. As Jaehyun entered the room again, he saw Haeju, still laying on the delivery table. Well, at least she was quiet now. The obstetrician had replaced the midwife and was in front of her, telling her to push slightly more. _The baby’s out, what does he want to get out of her now? Her kidney?_

 

The response was delivered to him some time later, when a gross piece of meat escaped Haeju’s body. Since it was his first time seeing someone giving birth, he’d forgotten some details about that, no matter how attentive he’d been in science class at school. He scrunched up his nose in disgust as the doctor placed the placenta in a container. He flinched when a woman’s voice startled him from behind.

 

"Everything’s good, doc. The baby’s ready," the midwife said.

 

The obstetrician nodded in her direction as she made her way towards the new mom, the newborn carefully cradled in her arms. She put the child on top of her mother, who was smiling brightly as she stared at the baby girl. She slowly raised her arm and gently stroked her daughter, who was now looking far cleaner than the ugly thing Jaehyun had seen sticking out between Haeju’s legs.

 

The young man smiled tenderly as he watched his friend and her boyfriend contemplating the baby, although the sight of the father rubbing his painful hand was rather amusing. He even found himself tearing up at the happy scene unfolding before him. He turned his head when someone came to sit down on the chair next to him.

 

"Are you feeling better?" the midwife asked while taking off her face mask and her gloves. As Jaehyun simply nodded in response, she gently continued: 'A little bit emotional, I see ?'

 

"Yes, but I won’t ever admit it in front of them," he replied bashfully.

 

The young woman chuckled lightly

 

"I won’t tell them," she assured him. "Aren’t you going to get closer to the baby? She’s got no more blood on," she added with a laugh.

 

He let out a protesting noise, but failed to contain his smile.

 

"I’m just letting them have their private moment," he explained. "Anyway, is it common for you to see people like me? You know, uh, not feeling well and all…"

 

"It happens sometimes, but I have to admit your reaction was hilarious. If I didn’t have to carry out my job, I would’ve laughed my butt off!"

 

"Stop making fun of me, I’m not a professional," he laughed.

 

"Speaking of professional, sorry if that’s a bit sudden, but aren’t you _the_ Jung Jaehyun? I mean, it’s a stupid question, but your face _really_ rings a bell. I’m lame at recognizing faces, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you somewhere a couple of times," she asked curiously.

 

"If you’re talking about _the_ Jung Jaehyun from NCT, then yes, I am."

 

"Well shoot, I wasn’t expecting to meet my sister’s favorite idol in a delivery room."

 

"Hey! Jae!" a loud voice interrupted. "Will you bring your weak ass here or not?"

 

"I’m not weak!" he protested. "I just don’t want to see your daughter’s face too closely, I’m afraid that she looks like you."

 

"If I wasn’t stuck on that bed I’d kick your ugly ass real quick," Haeju replied wholeheartedly. "Now come here, dumbass."

 

Jaehyun finally decided to get up and neared the young parents, who were fascinated by the little creature wriggling on her mom’s tummy and letting out weird noises. He had to admit, she was cute. He’d always thought newborn babies were ugly, but for some reason, their daughter looked adorable to him. Maybe because she was his best friend’s child.

 

He hesitantly brought his hand towards the baby’s hand, encouraged by the parents’ smile. He finally brought himself to touch her cheek carefully when the midwife, still sitting across the room, told him he could do so without any risks. It was soft, smooth and squishy. A smile raised the corner of his mouth.

 

"See? She’s cute," Haeju pointed out.

 

Jaehyun was about to agree, until she added a smooth "just like her mother". At her words, he pretended to throw up and she slapped his arm.

 

"Hey, don’t puke again, once was enough," Haeju said sneakily. "Well, at least I’m sure it was your first and last time trying to look at my vagina."

 

"That was just curiosity and I regret it deeply. I’ll leave that to Yingjie now," Jaehyun responded, facing Haeju’s boyfriend and bowing to him as if he was entrusting him with a dangerous mission.

 

Yingjie laughed and bowed back, accepting Jaehyun’s demand with an overdone formal expression. Haeju tapped their heads lightly, pretending to complain about their silliness.

 

A few minutes later, Jaehyun felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and sighed quietly when he saw his manager’s name displayed on the screen. He expected it, but he was having a happy time and definitely didn’t feel like going back to the SM building and practicing again.

 

"Hello, I know why you’re calling and I’ll explain everything," Jaehyun said without giving the manager a chance to speak, before telling him everything that had happened.

 

"So that’s why." The other man sighed in relief. "We thought someone got in an accident or something, since the boys only saw you rushing and screaming at the phone in panic."

 

"So uh, I guess I have to get back right now?" Jaehyun asked disappointedly.

 

"Listen, I’ll cover you for like another fifteen minutes and tell the staff the labor is still ongoing. But if you come back too late, they’ll think you’re slacking off, so hurry."

 

"Thank you so much! You’re the best. See you later!"

 

The young man hung up delightedly and faced his friends looking at him expectantly. He told them he could stay a bit more and they rejoiced.

 

"You shouldn’t have skipped practice but to be honest, I would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t even passed by," Haeju admitted as Yingjie nodded happily.

 

However, the time he had left flew too fast and he soon had to leave.

 

"Bye, ugly mom. Love you," Jaehyun said as he neared the door. "Yingjie, cheer up, you have the baby now, you’re not alone with that crazy woman anymore,"he added teasingly before exiting the room, ignoring the middle finger Haeju was giving him.

 

He walked down the aisle and reached the hospital’s main hall. It was still cloudy outside but that suited Jaehyun: it was too hot in this building. He got out and went to wait for a taxi, trying to hide beneath a tree to avoid getting noticed.

 

"You’re standing out even more, trying to be discreet like that," a female voice stated.

 

He turned around and saw the same friendly woman from the delivery room smiling at him.

 

"I can’t help it, I didn’t bring my shades nor my facemask."

 

"Wearing shades would be even worse," she laughed. "I suppose you’re going home?"

 

"More like going back to my agency," he rectified. "I have to practice."

 

"Oh, right, I heard you skipped that earlier." The woman paused as she replaced a strand of brown hair stuck to her face by the wind. "For real, it’s weird to talk to an idol," she added suddenly.

 

"I’m a normal person," Jaehyun chuckled. "The only difference is that I appear on TV and all that stuff."

 

"Of course, but I mean, when I see idols on TV, I don’t feel like they’re like us. Always having to behave a certain way to maintain a good image, you know."

 

"Well, you’re right. As an idol, I wouldn’t like people to know I threw up because I saw my best friend’s private parts," he admitted comically.

 

She just laughed and stood next to him, watching the vehicles circulate on the large road. Jaehyun turned his head and noted that she had changed clothes. She was now wearing a shirt tucked in high-waisted black jeans, which were for sure more flattering than her white coat covered in blood. He noticed she was getting angry at her hair blocking her eyesight and chortled. She looked at him with a puzzled expression, to which he responded by nodding toward her hair swung by the wind. She smiled, slightly embarrassed.

 

"You don’t know how annoying it is. I’d cut it short if only short hair didn’t make me look like trash," she deplored.

 

"You manage to look not-so-bad in a white coat, so you should be able to pull it off," Jaehyun noted innocently.

 

"That was smooth. Thanks, I guess!"

 

"Sorry. I’m awkward," he replied, amused. "I just wanted to be nice."

 

"No worries. Honestly, you really look like a good person. No wonder my sis likes you. She’ll be so jealous knowing I’ve met you!"

 

"Well uh, that can be arranged… I mean, we can see each other again so that you introduce her to me," he suggested half-jokingly.

 

"That’s a deal! You know what? I’ll give you my phone number. Contact me when you’re free! You know how to go unnoticed better than me, so just tell me how you want it to be organized," she exclaimed excitedly. "Uh… maybe things are going a bit too fast?" she continued worriedly.

 

"It’s okay, I’d like to meet you again soon anyway. I mean, of course, it’s also for your sister —"

 

"Yeah, yeah, let’s just say it’s for her sake," she laughed knowingly.

 

A few moments later, she looked at her watch and spoke up.

 

"By the way, is someone picking you up or…?"

 

"I’m waiting for a taxi- oh shit, I’m gonna be late!"

 

"Sorry, you must’ve missed some taxis while we were talking," she apologized. "I’ll help you look for one."

 

Jaehyun thanked her, pleased by her presence. He soon saw what he was looking for and hailed the taxi driver passing by. He bid his goodbyes to the young woman with a large grin that she reciprocated.

 

Jaehyun settled down in his seat, thinking back to the events of this afternoon. He closed his eyes and smiled for what seemed like the thousandth time. He really wasn’t expecting Haeju to give birth today, and had certainly not imagined meeting such a nice woman during her labor. He knew it was careless to suggest a meeting so soon; after all, just like she said, when you’re an idol, you have to uphold your reputation and not get caught doing anything that wouldn’t please the fans. For that matter, he was surprised no one recognized him in the street; he guessed that his hiding skills had improved over the course of time. Maybe someone had still seen him without coming over; finding a picture of him and the woman posted on the web wasn’t impossible either.

 

But right now, he didn’t give a damn about that. It was a happy day, and he didn’t want anything to get in the way of his joy.

 

However, a thought crossed his mind as he got out of the cab.

 

_Shit, I forgot to ask for her name._


End file.
